Maine State Legislature

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE The following document is provided by the LAW AND LEGISLATIVE DIGITAL LIBRARY at the Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library http://legislature.maine.gov/lawlib Reproduced from scanned originals with text recognition applied (searchable text may contain some errors and/or omissions) Public Documents of Maine: BEING THE ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE VARIOUS Public Of ficers~Institutions FOR THE YEAR ~1889~ VOLUME II. AUGUSTA: BURLEIGH & FLYNT, PRINTERS TO THE STATE. 1890. PRINCIPAL BUILDINGS OF THE MAINE STATE COLLEGE. Oak Hall and Boarding-House. Wingate Hall. Chemical Laboratory. Shop. ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE TRUSTEES, PRESIDENT AND OTHER OFFICERS OF THE State College of Agriculture AND THE MECHANIC ARTS, Orono, Me., 1888. Published agreeably to a Resolve approved February 25, 1871. AUGUSTA: BCRLEIGH I: FLYNT, PRINTERS TO THE STA.TB. 18 8 8. TRUSTEES' REPORT. To His Exctllency, the Governor and the llono1·able Council: The Trustees of the State College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts respectfully submit this, their twenty-first annual report, and, therewith, the reports of the President and members of the Faculty; also, that of the Treasurer. There has heen more change in the pe1·sonnel of the hoar<l of trustees since their last report than in any preceding year exl'.ept that of 187~). The vacancy matle hy the Pxpimtion of the term of Hon. Daniel II. T'hi11g was filled by the appointment of Rutillus Al<leu, J,:sq. The vacancie~ following the re::-ignations of Hon. E. I~. Parkhur~t and G~n. Uharle::i Hamlin were tilled hy the appointment of \Villiam H. Strickland, Esq., and Hon. Fred At woOll. The personnel of the board of instruction n·mains suh .,;tantially the same as at the date of our report of last year. The addition of important facilities for effective work makes the several cour.ses of in.stnwtion much more valuable to the student::, than ever before. Since our hu,t report, the establishment of the National Experiment Station upon the college groun<l:s has imposed new and important responsibilities upon the board of trus tees and officers of the college. The station has been organized for effective work and has entered upon several important lines of investigation, which cannot fail to be of great value to the interests of agriculture in the State. The lines of work, so far as now determined on, will be explained 4 STATE COLLEGE. in Prof. Jordan's forthcoming annual report. A substantial brick building for the use of the station has been nearly com pleted and equipped for the prosecution of its important work. The presence of the station in close proximity to the college proper, whPre a part of its appropriate work is con ducted by the college professors cannot fail to be of much advnntnge to the students. Coburn Hall, constmctcd for the use of the departments of Natural History and Agriculture is a very important feature of the college. Although constructed with especial reference to the departments named, it is an important factor of the college as an aggregation of departments. The equipments and nrnteriul of the departments of Natural History and Agriculture have been transferred from the extemporized and pent-up quarters hitherto occupied, to spacious apartments in Coburn Hall. Specimens-animal, botanical, geological, mineral, etc., classified, labelled and registered, have taken their alloted places on tihelves and in cases arranged for their reception, ready for inspection and study. Ample room has been reserved for the laboratory work of both dPpartments. Some of the most approved agriculturnl machines and implements have been received from generous donors, and plaecd on exhibition in the basement of the huilding, n 8paeious npartmcnt resen·cd for that. purpo:::;e. One of the most spacious :ipnrtments has been devoted to the purposes of the library, which has, hitherto, hceu divested of much of the usefulne:-;s of which it was susceptible, by want of space for its arrangement. Its hooks are now in the process of classification and arrangement on ample shelves, and their contents are to be summarized, b(.) tnat the student may be directed to the information they contain without unnecessary rfolay. The work of classification and arrange ment has been placed in skilful hands. Prof. Harvey, of the department of Natural Hi~tory has rn:ipped a hroad field for investigation and research. The er;J;pensive rart of the preparation for good work in his depart- TRUSTEES' REPORT. 5 ment has been provided for by the construction of Coburn Hall. Some of the toob and eqnipment:3 have been supplied. Others will be needed, and should be supp:ied. The work laid out is of great importance to the State, and has been committed to able hands. The report of Prof. Harvey which accompanies this will revc,tl the character of the work pro posed, the methods of its accomplishment, and the means needed to carry it on. FAHM. The farm has been without stock for two years. Deterio ration luws been the result. This process will go on until it is re-stocked. There has been a belief somewhat prevalent that the loss of the stock was dne to bud sanitary conditions, or negligence, or improper feeding. If there is still, any where, a lingering doubt upon these points, the following testimony should dispel it. Dr. Charles B. Michener, an expert veterinarian, was sent by the United States Commissioner of Agriculture to examine the stock and determine the character of the disease. From bis report to Hon. Frederick Robie, then Governor of the State, the following statement is copied: "I waR first led to examine the hygienic surroundings. The barn is a large one and has ample room for the slock. It is well lighted and thoroughly ventilated; the air heing surprisingly pure as I entered the building in the morning. The stalls are kept clean as the animals themselves show. The manure is thrown in the basement, but a free current of air prevents any appreciable odor from rising to the stable. The feeding .is judicious in every sense, and the food, both gntin and hay. is of the best quality." * * * "In answer to those who contend that this disease was caused by improper feeding, or lack of sufficient ventilation and exercise, it is only neces sary to remind you that tuberculosis, like small-pox, and similar diseases is a speci fie malady ; one that can only be spread by coming in contact iu some way with its special and determined infecting agent." 6 STATE UOLLEGE. Dr. George H. Bailey, ''Secl'etary and Veterinary Surgeon of the Board of Commissioners for Maine on Contagious Diseases of Animals" gives the following testimony in his report to the legislature: "At the time of my first visit I found the buildings in which the cattle were contained, were among the best and most commodious I had ever visited, and that every provi::;ion for the maintenance of perfect health among the occupants had been fully and amply secured. An abundance of sunlight and pure water, scrupulous cleanliness, sufficient and wholesome nutrition, thorough drainage, and ventilation so perfect that the aii· was almost as pure inside the barn as out." The present manager of the farm, in referring to the delay in re-stocking, tersely says: "This course, if continued much longer, wi 11 bring neither credit nor profit to the Institution. Some measures should be taken as rnon as practicable for placing the form on u. sound bu::;iness basis." The Trustees concur with Prof. Balentine. INS'l'HUCTION IN SHOP WORK. Unlike the farm, the condition of the department of shop instruction and practice, is of the most encournging character. The number of students taking this course has increased from year to year, until the space, equipments and tools, which, at first, were, adequate to meet all requirementR, are entirely insufficient to meet current necessities. The reports of Prof. Flint and Instructor W ehh, to which attention is respectfully called, will show, in detail, the present need:::, of the department. BOARDING HOUSE. · The bmuding house, under the management of Mr. and ·Mrs. Spencer is still meeting the requirements made upon it with entire satisfaction to the Trustees. MILITARY DEPAR'l'l\1EN'l'. In the early years of the college it was difficult to awaken , much interest in military drill and tactics. Then, as now, ·such practice was compulsory, but there was a lack of TRUSTEES' REPORT. 7 enthusiasm which made it irksome. Students felt that the time so spent could be made more pleasant and profitable if spent in study or pastime. All this has been changed. For several years, an army officer, graduated from ,Vest Point, has been assigned to the military department. Better instruc tion, public and competitive drills, attractive uniforms and occasional encampments, combined with a wider range of study, have raised this department to a higher plane of effi ciency and usefulness than it has heretofore occupied. CONCLUDING REMARKS. The State college has a history of twenty years behind it. At the beginning of this period, it entered upon a field of educationai work hitherto unexplored. The predictions respecting its future, if, indeed, a future w~ in reserve for it, were not of the most encouraging character. One of the most common expressions of belief respecting it was, ''that it would foll into the old groves," and simply add another to existing institutions whose purpose was to train young men for the liberal professions. At the date of the establishment of the State college, it was estimated that seventy per cent of the students graduated from existing colleges found their life's wol'k in the liberal professions.

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